How much was your electric bill, and what is it now? $25,000 annual before, now $17,000 annually.
How did this effort start in your congregation? Started with lobbying from the parish Peace and Justice committee, and initiatives from the pastor. We started with converting to non-disposable cups, dishes. Participate in city recycling program. Start mulching vegetable waste.
What has been the biggest obstacle to action? Technical solutions to replace high wattage, canned mounted, quartz halogen bulbs were not immediately available, but were introduced to large lighting distributors in 2016 and 2017.
What action would you say has been the most effective for saving energy and reducing electric bills? Converting lighting in church to LED.
What action has been most effective for building interest among the congregation for this work? Announcements from the pulpit and changing lighting to LED, dramatic power reductions, with noticeably brighter light.
What is your current challenge? Capital constraints prevent pursuit of desired next step, Solar PV.